The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name
by Cheese-kun
Summary: The Tree of Life gives birth to the Royalty of Spades but they can not develop feelings for each other. But Alfred and Arthur go against nature and do love. A tale of forbidden love and a revolution. R18 Oneshot.


This is my Secret Santa 2011 gift to angel_shin on LJ.

And special thanks to Liete for betaing this. I hope you guys like it ^^

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><p><strong>The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name<strong>

In the beginning was Chaos.

The violent darkness was occupied by gods at war with each other. 'Twas when the sky above was a nameless nothing and the earth still unborn. The gods fought and destroyed for decades, centuries and millennia. However, when there was nothing else to destroy, nothing else to entertain themselves with other than the eerie reigning silence, the gods decided to play a new game. They didn't want to play the game of destruction as a new idea had left them ecstatic. It was the game of creation.

This is the history of creation of our Kingdom of Spades.

The gods created a playground for all to play with. Beautiful, grand and perfect was the phrase; one land, born of godly hands was better than the other. Thus the four kingdoms were created. Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs.

Antistrateu, the god of war, wanted a kingdom of creatures so powerful that they would reign over the world with their strength. The soil was made of part of his flesh, always hungry for the blood of its foes. And Antistrateu's wife Mnemosyne planted green life all over the land and spread fruits, flowers and birds of blue to symbolise wisdom and loyalty as opposed to the husband's preferred violence. Tears of Antistrateu's victims graced the sky as glimmering stars. And finally, creatures emerged from the waters and they looked just like the gods, with the constraint of mortality.

And Antistrateu was pleased.

One day he trod over the quickly advancing kingdom—it was a tiny bit less bloodthirsty than desired thanks to the little modifications of his wife, but it was a fine kingdom. That day he was disguised as an ordinary human. By the river's side sat a woman—young with golden hair flowing down to her waist. She was bathing.

He was mesmerised by her beauty and he took her.

Soon she was with child. Mnemosyne's jealousy was great and she took the child within that woman and banned it from her womb into a tree where it was later born of. The goddess cursed her - she was never going to be able to give birth to a child through her own body and the children would never be able to feel for each other.

Antistrateu begot another child with her and a third child was conceived with another human. Thus there were three Trees of Life in the land of Spades.

The god of war took pity on the poor woman's fate as he had become fond of her, so he bestowed upon her the promise to make every child born of the Trees of Life the rulers of Spades. From then on the trees had given birth to the Kings, Queens and Jacks of Spades.

This was the myth told throughout the generations.

And it was on the second half of the twentieth century of the Imperial Calendar, the aging royals were beginning to feel concerned about the throne succession, when the Tree of the Jack began to bloom. Cards with the Jack's emblem and the Spades' symbols sprouted from the crown of the tree announcing that a child was about to be born. It didn't take long for the cards to fall. The future Jack of Spades was born. It was the year 1975.

Two years later the Queen's tree gave birth to the future Queen. It was a boy. That was most unusual but not impossible as the Kingdom of Spades had already experienced two other male Queens centuries prior.

Then finally, on 1981, a future King was born. The whole kingdom rejoiced and celebrated the successors to the throne; at last they were allowed to be relieved from their fear of a vacant throne. Even the other kingdoms sent their polite letters of congratulations to the current royalty, mixed with other political interests such as the grooming of peaceful relationships and offers of trade.

One thing was unique with the Spades royalty - they were incapable of feeling for each other. No love or hatred could ever spark between the three ruling figures. Myth said that it was the deed of Mnemosyne's jealousy but in the more practical way it was generally considered as good virtue by the people of Spades. Like that they were not likely to yearn for the other's power and they would not conspire against each other, hence any internal conflicts were easily avoidable. As for love, it was too capricious, complex and unpredictable in a reign. It was only good they didn't possess such emotions towards each other. It was internationally disputed, but the people of Spades were convinced that these kinds of rulers were the most effective. Normally, the royals were also emotionally indifferent towards other people.

The children grew up in the summer palace at the seaside where the air smelled salty and a tiny bit fishy. Surrounded by fishermen's villages stood the sheltered world of the princes, protected behind white walls and guarded by marble warriors and angels. The royal nursery was one of their favourite places as it was their fortress of fantasies. They would crawl under a mountain of colourful cloths and seek to touch each other's hands in the dark.

And then there was the rose garden. Especially the future Queen - his name was Arthur - loved the garden of blue roses. He liked the sweet scent and the taste of the petals in his cup of tea- even the thorns were likeable. Sometimes, whenever he accidentally stung himself on a thorn, his blood slowly trickling from the tiny wound, he mused how great and lovely it would be to have a red rose. For the colour red seemed just perfect for a rose.

Yao, the little Jack, liked to grow his dark hair as it made him look wise in his opinion. The boy was talented with the theories of mathematics, money and warfare. He was the oldest, so he was the first to dive in the world of adult concerns, even though he never missed any opportunity to spend a lot of time with the other two of the royal family.

The youngest of all was called Alfred. He was a boy of a small attention span but with the wondrous ability to find entertainment in almost everything. His fantasy knew no limit- a desolate corner could easily become a field of adventure for the young King-to-be. Conspicuous was his attachment to Arthur; it seemed as if he was following the other's every step. And that was indeed something to be worried about, though people decided to ignore this little oddity, because surely this behaviour wasn't going to last.

Alfred was watching Arthur practice archery between beds of blue roses. Arthur was fourteen by now and was so much bigger than him to his annoyance. He had lost his baby-face, unlike Alfred, and looked more and more mature with every new day. The older boy had also started to spend less time with the blue-eyed prince. First Alfred thought that Arthur was simply too busy, but later he could no longer deny that the other had completely distanced himself from him. And he didn't like that at all. How could he be ignored like that anyway, wasn't he the future King of Spades? They were both going to be married, right? And a marriage was all about love and protecting each other from dangers so what was stupid Arthur doing? He was cold to him, so cold that he was shivering whenever Arthur's emerald eyes looked at him emotionlessly.

Naturally, Alfred wasn't going to leave matters untouched.

"Artie!" The crisp voice of the ten-year-old reached Arthur's ears and successfully broke his concentration. The previously focused expression turned into one of confusion and Arthur looked around to spot the disturber. There he was - the little most important person in all Spades and he was running towards Arthur with the biggest steps he could muster.

"Alfred…what are you doing here? I told you not to wander around the garden whenever I'm practising, it could be dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt," said Arthur in a scolding but not particularly concerned voice.

Alfred pouted, making his reddened cheeks puff up. "You lie. You don't really care!"

"I do care, Alfred. Don't be stupid! Your safety is the most important in the whole kingdom."

"See, you only care because I'm going to be king, but you don't really care because you don't love me!"

Arthur frowned. "Loving you?"

"Yes!" Little Alfred flailed with his arms as it was his habit whenever he had troubles to express himself with words. "You know, like in the stories you used to read to me a few years ago!"

Sighing, Arthur supported himself against the longbow. "Alfred, I can't give you that kind of feeling. And neither can you."

"But I love you!" Sky blue eyes looked up at Arthur with determination, all wide and sparkling, reflecting the sun.

"No, no Alfred…you don't," said Arthur with more urgency. That wasn't even possible.

Alfred, Alfred was still a child.

"There's nothing impossible for the hero!" The young prince bounced up and down, trying to get his point across in that way. The blond locks on his head bounced with him.

"It is as impossible as there is a chance for a red rose to bloom."

Young boys soon became young men and everybody could see that they were one fine suit—the nation's pride, security and power. Yao, being the oldest, was sent to the university in the capital to talk and share ideas and ideals with the thinkers of their time. Though Yao didn't really feel like sitting with thinking people, those were mostly bloodthirsty barbarians with immense wit and creativity to lead wars. Sometimes Yao couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't as ecstatic at the sight of new inventions to help the Spades' army in war. Why did he secretly think of possibilities to negotiate peace treaties rather than how to make the most fancy war declaration?

Yao sighed and ducked his head deeply into the collars of his exotic tunic. The academics were small-talking about gore and dangerous toys. Meanwhile Yao learnt to control his (dare he say?) emotional side.

Arthur was twenty now and he was pleased that Alfred too had matured. The teenage boy stopped approaching Arthur about a love filled marriage or silly sentimental things like a picnic near the beach, surrounded by musicians and dancers and what not. It almost seemed that Alfred had finally reached the state of emotional void towards the other royal family members. And Arthur was glad. Yes, it was better that way.

One afternoon Arthur spotted Alfred being busy around the rose bush. Somehow he was crouched between the thorny hedges and snipping around with poorly protected hands. Arthur idly stared from behind the tall window, half wondering about Alfred's business around the Spades roses when he'd never really seemed particularly interested in those flowers. The future queen had become so engrossed in watching Alfred that he never noticed Yao approaching him from behind. He was then taken by surprise as he felt a hand tapping his shoulder. Arthur spun around and then allowed himself to relax at the sight of his companion. Odd, why did he feel as if he was caught in the act?

"Good thing he's calmed down, huh?"

Arthur knew Yao was referring to Alfred. Slowly, he nodded.

"Yes, indeed. Though, I never had any worries, you know we're born this way." Arthur let go of the heavy curtain and the future King of Spades disappeared from his field of vision. Though he couldn't help but sigh for a reason still unbeknownst to him. Those emerald eyes then wandered over to rest on Yao. "How is the Capital's university?"

That question triggered an odd reaction off of Yao, whose shoulders visibly tensed at the mention of the university, though his shoulders relaxed just as quickly that Arthur barely noticed. "It is…important and significant for our future."

Arthur felt his question was being avoided. Raising his brow in question but not pushing him any further, he went off to practice some more archery. Perhaps there was going to be enough time for a good book later.

The bow, almost as tall as himself, was a flawless white with delicate carvings of roses and angels. It felt smooth in his hands and Arthur idly marvelled at the workmanship of his weapon. Alfred's last gift to him. Before that he was constantly showered with presents of all kinds by the other prince making him feel irritated and exasperated, not knowing how to react to this outlandish kind of affection. As Alfred grew into being a young man, the presents became less frequent and in the end he simply stopped giving Arthur any. The last gift was the white polished longbow in Arthur's hands; it was a birthday present and secretly a favourite of the future Queen.

He was so lost in his daydreams that he didn't the person coming unto him. A familiar voice brought him back to reality. Looking up he found himself looking into sky blue eyes. "Alfred…what are you doing?"

"Sorry, did I startle you?" Alfred sat down next to Arthur trying to make his position more comfortable by stretching out his long legs. Arthur idly noted that the other had grown, seemingly overnight. His shoulders were broad and his face had lost its remaining traces of childhood.

"It's okay," replied Arthur, still distracted by his previous thoughts.

"I've been busy."

"I know, Alfred. You should keep practising to be a king."

The sky was a clear blue and the roses were as well.

"Yeah, will do. It's pretty difficult, you know, but I think I'll manage. How about you?"

Arthur let out a shallow chuckle. "I'm fine, I guess. It's only a matter of time until I'll be able to shoot an angel down to earth."

"That's some talent you have, Artie." Arthur was never fond of that nickname because of the implications it held. For example that it was an expression of endearment, and also his authority seemed to suffer because of that silly name.

"Please refrain from calling me that. You know how you're practically asking for trouble by saying these things to me. Honestly, I'm glad that you've finally come to your senses," said Arthur with a sigh.

"Come to my senses? Oh, you mean the fact that I've stopped courting you?" The sunny blond boy rubbed his chin in thought. Then out of the blue he began to grin. "No way!"

That sudden outburst managed to startle Arthur.

"I've only become smarter! But I never had the intention to stop courting you!"

"Alfred, wha—" The emerald eyes were widened in horror and disbelief and he hadn't even gotten the chance to speak up as Alfred had abruptly told him to stay there because he was going to be back. Arthur watched Alfred's retreating back as he ran across the garden.

Why was this happening? He was so sure that Alfred had finally lost any emotion towards him and now that boy suddenly said that he was merely being smart? What was he thinking? Everything in Arthur's head was signalling alarm in panic. Confusion, mental overload and fear. Arthur had no idea how to properly react in situations like these. Most of all he was horrified that he was letting himself be affected by Alfred's antics instead of being emotionally indifferent as he was supposed to do. But here he was, distressed and lost, not able to ignore.

Alfred returned with an excited expression on his youthful features, though his steps were slow and calm. His arms were hidden behind his back—obviously he was hiding something. He knelt down in front of Arthur without disturbing the midday silence of the garden, and the grass and leaves below barely rustled. The future Queen held his breath.

"I know I am not supposed to feel like this but I have no reign over my emotions." At that moment his voice sounded so mature and Arthur wondered how he could've missed the other growing into such a young man. "And I didn't want to bring the both of us into trouble, so I stopped showing my affection in public but…I never stopped caring for you Arthur. Not once."

Arthur's heart, normally calm and collected, began to start a race with his breath; droplets of sweat trickled down his temple. This shouldn't have happened, none of this should have happened, not Alfred's confession nor his own reaction. Fear settled in his stomach, making him feel sick and dizzy. His mind desperately tried to calculate the extent of those terrifying words. This was against nature. The people would mark them as imperfect, unfit of being their rightful rulers.

Alfred's words were so beautiful.

Slowly, Arthur closed his eyes, denying Alfred the sight of his brilliant emeralds, and shook his head. The boy in front of him visibly deflated but was in no way defeated—in fact he was ready to give it another shot.

"You know it's not possible and you're probably just confused," said Arthur in a low voice, as if trying to suppress something from leaving his guarded lips.

Alfred's expression softened. His hand sought Arthur's and tried to soothe the trembling other with a gentle touch, however he only succeeded in making him flinch. "Arthur, I can lie to myself about not loving you but I can't lie to myself that there is something stirring within me at the mere thought of you. I can't stop _feeling._"

"W-who said we can't feel?" Arthur mumbled while avoiding looking at Alfred.

"No, I can't stop feeling for _you._ It makes me lose hours of sleep. It makes me restless and leaves me confused." Alfred's blond locks bounced in time with his shaking head, seemingly eager to support his point. And finally Arthur raised his head and faced Alfred with pained eyes.

"It's impossible, Alfred," he whispered.

"As impossible as a red rose blooming in Spades," Alfred finished. "But I say unto you, I can make it possible for you."

Now that he had said it out loud, he slowly drew the arm that had been hidden behind his back forward and presented a single fully blossomed rose to his love.

It was a deep shade of red.

Arthur stared wide-eyed and gasped, not believing his own eyes. He didn't notice the tears building up at the corners of his eyes and threatening to spill. No words could describe Arthur's astonishment; nothing could do the breath-taking beauty of such a red rose among a sea of blue roses justice. There was no explanation that he could find, other than that a goddess must have stung the tips of her finger on the stem's thorns and that her blood had trickled down to soak the buds of said rose red.

"I had to look for a particularly pale flower to make it work. You see, I coloured some water and placed the stem of this rose into it, and the rose simply drew up the colour. I – I wanted to be the man who does wonders for you - to be the one making the impossible possible. Above all I'm merely asking you to give me a chance. "

That moment they could hear something break open between them and it sounded like a crumbling wall. And Alfred knew he was succeeding. He couldn't hide his wide smile and scooted up closer toward the shaking Arthur who was desperately trying to control the overwhelming rush of emotions within him.

"Arthur," he whispered, "will you marry me?"

A weak fist hit against the happy blonde's shoulder. "You idiot!" shouted Arthur but his voice sounded hoarse and he was obviously embarrassed. "Stop saying these scary things! Besides…aren't we going to marry anyway?"

Alfred only laughed in response. "But Artie, I want the wedding to be real. The moment we vow to this kingdom, I want us to vow to our love as well."

"I never said I was in love with you!" sputtered the other one.

"But Arthur, you _do_ love me. I just showed you a red rose – a miracle just for you. Who wouldn't fall for such a man?"

Arthur noted how Alfred was slowly but steadily getting closer to him.

Nothing could describe the inner conflict within Arthur, and he was unable to call a halt to this journey of their certain downfall. His reason fought for the emotional indifference but his heart was thoroughly invaded by the obnoxious teenager. It was so unfair, given that he wasn't prepared at all! Nobody warned him about an annoying boy with eyes as blue as Spades who was playing dirty. He was truly stabbed from behind.

He laid his hand on Alfred's, successfully startling the loud prince, and whispered, "it's our little secret then."

Alfred's expression after that was comical but also overpoweringly beautiful as he was all smiles and everything _happy._It was so contagious that even Arthur couldn't help a small tug of his lips.

"Yes, it's a secret. A sacred love only you and I will ever know!" Without warning Arthur was being pulled over into a crushing embrace, enough to make him wheeze.

Too bad it was a secret, because that moment should have gone down in history as the first time a royal kissed another royal of Spades on the cheek.

They spent years of silently being in a relationship. They acted distant in public and didn't really communicate about things that were unrelated to their duties. Nothing betrayed the forbidden love they shared – except maybe their eyes whenever they happened to linger with a thousand words unsaid and yet perfectly understood by the other. Alfred's were always about endless _I love yous_ and _you're so precious,_while Arthur's eyes were always filled with _idiot, I should never have agreed to do this_ and _but I am trapped in your gentleness._ Neither of them were particularly eager to make their affection visible to the public.

For Alfred's part there was something in a secret relationship that made their love so sacred and untouched by other people's eyes and judgement. He admitted he was being a bit protective and dead set on keeping their love exclusively to themselves.

There were times, however, when they were free to practice their affection towards each other. Whenever they were seemingly out to go hunting, they would always settle on a hidden place in the safety of the thick wood to share a few moments of holding the other's hand. Arthur was always reluctant to do any of these secrets dates as he was still in conflict with his own mind. He still hadn't forgotten that they were an anomaly in this world. But in the end he could never say no to Alfred. The younger man was too much of a temptation – the force of his love was enough to melt Arthur's heart of emotional void and make small flowers bloom in it.

Besides, there was also the little discovery that he was weak towards pleasure. Arthur loved pleasure. It was embarrassing to admit but it was true, and while he could always deny it, his body could never lie.

When it was night time, it was the time for them to experiment. Alfred would always sneak into Arthur's suite (sometimes it was even the other way around) and they would fall into each other's arms and become lost in heated kisses and caresses on their body.

If Yao ever noticed or suspected any dubious changes between Arthur and Alfred, he never voiced any of it.

Arthur and Alfred were just princes.

It was in the year of 2000, the magical turn of a new millennium, when Arthur was 23 and Alfred just 19, that the current King died. He was followed by the Queen not a week after. The Jack retreated to live out his old age in isolation.

This brought Alfred and Arthur in front of the altar of Antistrateu's temple. Both were nervous and more than just taken by surprise by the recent happenings and the fact that they were now about to be married as a symbolic act of forming a bond to the kingdom as the new King and Queen of Spades – a surprisingly sentimental tradition for a royal pair who was supposed to be devoid of any feelings towards the other.

Yao's coronation took place in the morning and while he was pale, he seemed considerably less frightened than the two blondes. And now he was attending the wedding ceremony with his crowned head held high.

The temple was an imposing structure surrounded by the sea. The only link to the mainland was a long, slim bridge, which was supported by massive piers emerging from the waters. Those piers were shaped after winged warriors that seemed to be carrying the bridge with their bare hands and all of them were proudly wearing the Spades emblem. The temple itself was highly decorated for the occasion. The high ceiling and the pillars were littered with various blue and purple banners. Everybody in the great hall thought that the combination of the heroic paintings and those screaming banners were overly tacky but nobody cared to leave a comment about that.

The altar was on a raised platform made of black marble and golden ornaments. There the new royal couple stood, both dressed in ceremonial clothing. The ermine mantles draped on their shoulders were heavy and made them painfully aware of the new position and responsibility.

Arthur, even though nervous, felt a rush of pride overcome him and he was glad that he still wasn't too emotional if faced with other situations that didn't revolve around a person named Alfred. Still, ruling felt heavy as it was emphasized by the uncomfortable regalia they wore.

The high priest presented their rings, the symbol of their marriage to the state, and then the clocks, the symbol of their power. Finally, it was time for the King of Spades to be crowned. Alfred stepped forward, blue eyes focused on the priest right in front of him. He moved the long seam of the mantle out of his walking range and knelt down with his head slightly bowed down. The old priest stepped closer and held the King's crown just above Alfred's head.

"Behold the King of Spades, the Sovereign to rule us all in justice and to bring victory to our land." Slowly, the crown was placed on his head.

Arthur lost his breath for a moment. Alfred was beautiful and truly born to be king. The way the crown was glimmering under the sunlight and above his golden hair, the way the large sapphire was competing to outshine his blue eyes - everything about the Alfred in front of him was gorgeous.

The next step was Arthur's coronation. He observed how Alfred was handed over a tiara covered with diamonds, pearls and sapphires. The King looked at him with a stoic expression and Arthur stepped forward and knelt in front of him, eyes closed and ready to receive the Queen's crown.

It was as if the world was soundless and only Arthur's calm breath was to be heard as the cool crown touched his head and made him Queen.

He vaguely heard the priest announce him the Queen of Spades and couldn't help the small smirk that only Alfred noticed. The king helped him up and they both faced the invited guests—kings and queens from the other kingdoms, nobles and generals. The new royal couple presented itself to the world for the first time.

"I am Alfred, King of Spades. And to my side is my rightful Queen Consort, Arthur of Spades. We vow our absolute allegiance to the state."

Both Alfred and Arthur felt like real monarchs with real power the moment the people rose to cheer and clap their hands, and also they felt like real husbands with a sealed bond.

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><p>Arthur moaned as his back unceremoniously hit the oak post of his royal bed. "A-Alfred…you shouldn't be here," he breathlessly said as he craned his neck to let Alfred kiss his sensitive skin.<p>

The king didn't let himself be disturbed by the queen's words, happily leaving love bites all over Arthur's neck while his hand was busy throwing the heavy robes off of their shoulders. There was no way he was going to return to his own chamber like he was supposed to do after the wedding, now that the promise three years ago was finally fulfilled.

Arthur caught Alfred's mouth greedily and they shared one heated kiss, messy and open-mouthed with their tongues gliding and rubbing together, exploring and playing a little pleasurable game. One arm was thrown around the king's neck to pull him closer while the other hand was fondling around his collar in order to gain access to the skin underneath. It couldn't happen quickly enough for Arthur and he nearly tore Alfred's expensive chemise to finally get a touch of his husband's hot skin.

"Now you're one to talk, Arthur. You're just as eager," said Alfred with a soft chuckle. Slowly and languidly, just to tease a little bit, he began to unbutton Arthur's waistcoat and shirt.

"Am I going to be naked today or not?" asked Arthur with an impatient eye roll, his own hands already wandering over Alfred's chest and nipples.

Alfred grinned but had to agree. Arthur wasn't naked enough. Finally, the garments slid down the queen's shoulders and dropped to the ground where they belonged. Free of all layers, they latched on to each other's bare torso and touched every inch of skin they could reach, felt every move of the muscles, enjoyed the warmth of the embrace. The forbidden private moment was witnessed by the paintings and frescoes of gods and former royalty.

Arthur seemed aimless with his kissing, not really minding what he was devouring as long it was part of Alfred's body. His lashes brushed on Alfred's cheek as he moved his lips along the other's jawline and earlobe. He vaguely registered that strong hands had grabbed him below his arse to lift him, so he hooked his legs around Alfred's hips, also using this new position to freely draw his husband closer whenever he felt like it. With his back only supported by the bed post he began to teasingly move his hips in an up and down motion making Alfred groan.

The new king genuinely thought that he was going to be driven crazy in bed tonight —before he was even able to do any ruling in his own kingdom. Arthur's small and slow thrusts were maddening and he could feel his penis hardening. The queen's barely audible moans were pure seduction, especially when his lips were practically glued to Alfred's ear. In the end the rubbing of their groins was simply too much.

"To bed," said Arthur in a low voice, which came out as a half moan.

Alfred only nodded and carried Arthur who was still latched on to him with his legs. It was difficult and awkward as he couldn't move his legs freely while having another man hanging on him from the front who kept an undisturbed humping rhythm against his still clothed groin. Alfred let go and Arthur bumped into the mattress not so gently. Green eyes looked up at him disapprovingly.

"Idiot! Don't go around throwing me as you please! Also, we can't get wild just like that, people might get suspicious!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you are kind of heavy, so…" That only earned him a slap on the forehead.

"Fine! You don't have to fuck me tonight if you're so dissatisfied by my body," spat Arthur, his expression hurt.

Alfred joined Arthur in bed and hovered over the pouting figure, a gentle expression on his face. "Arthur, I was kidding. You know you're beautiful enough to make an emotionless boy fall for you."

Against his will a small smile graced Arthur's lips. He was clearly flattered by those words and was consoled enough to pull Alfred down into a kiss with a benign smile. Arthur was too aroused to deny Alfred for the night anyway.

They hurried to lose the rest of their garments. Neither of them wanted to wait any longer. Trousers and boots were carelessly tossed off of the bed. And then they were bare, the way they were born into this world. There was something within that moment of nakedness that touched their hearts deeply.

Their complexion and limbs - they were the same as everybody else.

Alfred lowered himself and touched Arthur's lips. His hands caressed the queen's cheeks, moved down to his neck, went down to his side, wandered over to tease the navel and abdomen until he finally rested on Arthur's lower region.

"Go on, big boy, touch me there," encouraged Arthur before resuming their kiss.

Alfred complied and carefully swept the tips of his fingers over Arthur's erection, making him sigh into the king's mouth. It wasn't their first time touching themselves there, but it surely felt new. Hot fingers closed around Arthur's penis and released it not long after finding their way to fondle his scrotum instead. Low moans escaped Arthur's lips as he arched his hips towards the touch, throwing his head back in pleasure with eyes blissfully closed and mouth hung open.

"I want you," breathed Alfred.

"Then take me," Arthur moaned.

Alfred turned to look for the oil that he had brought, which was usually used as a bathing treatment but had been misused by the couple as a slick for their sexual aid. He had brought it with him, so it must have been somewhere near. Arthur, who didn't want to miss the pleasing touch on his member, had simply taken Alfred's hand and guided it back to rub against his penis while he was busy looking for the oil. Turned out the small vial was lain abandoned at the edge of the bed.

They had tried fingering each other before but never ever tried the full penetration act, therefore Alfred was determined to be especially careful. He generously spread the slick oil all over his fingers. Alfred leant in to kiss his queen while slowly letting one finger probe around the area of Arthur's entrance before gently pushing in. That wasn't too difficult as it wasn't a foreign feeling. The finger pushed its way between Arthur's clenching and unclenching walls, withdrew itself and re-entered with a second finger in tow. Arthur's breath hitched at the sensation of two fingers exploring his tight hole, and when a third one entered he couldn't help but gasp, his eyebrows knit together and face contorted into an uncomfortable expression.

"Shhh, be brave," whispered Alfred, planting kisses on Arthur's temple.

Arthur laughed humourlessly. "You aren't the one with three fat fingers shoved up your arse."

"Hey, my fingers aren't f-" His protest was cut off by a drawn out moan and Arthur's lustful expression. Taking that as a good sign, he kept thrusting his fingers in that angle and enjoyed the pleased sounds Arthur made.

"I'm ready. Alfred, come in. Take me."

Alfred, feeling as if he was in delirium, only nodded hazily and poured some more of that scented oil onto the palm of his hand. He then rubbed his erection to slick it up and hissed, suddenly aware of how badly he needed to pound into Arthur.

He gave one last glance to ask for permission but in the end he found himself staring at Arthur's needy expression. He aligned himself and poked with the tip of his penis at Arthur's hole, making green eyes stare widely at him in anticipation and want.

One last chaste kiss on Arthur's lips and Alfred pushed himself in.

Arthur threw his head to the side, eyes wide and mouth wide open as if screaming, and indeed he felt like screaming but he shouldn't. He worked hard to control his breathing but failed. Alfred kept pushing his member in and Arthur almost thought he did it mercilessly, until he felt gentle hands caressing his face and a soft voice calling his name.

"Alfred, it hurts so badly," he whispered with a choked sob.

"I'm sorry, baby. Should I stop?"

"N-no…please stay inside of me. Just…just wait for a moment before moving."

Alfred nodded in understanding, even though his hard cock was trapped between an unbelievable tightness. He would have to control himself to the fullest. The time that Arthur needed to adjust and to gain courage was long, very long for the both of them. But finally, Arthur looked up to seek Alfred's genuine blue eyes.

"Make love to me, Alfred. It is love, right? Let me _feel _it."

The king withdrew his hips slightly and thrust back in. Arthur whimpered but didn't tell Alfred to stop, so he kept pushing in and out shallowly. Pain was still clearly visible on Arthur's expression; therefore Alfred lowered his head to kiss him deeply and drove his tongue into the other's mouth. It was almost funny how the dancing tongues seemed to be a means of communication to give reassurance and comfort when words were too complicated to form at a state of incoherency.

Eventually, Alfred's mouth moved lower to lick Arthur's neck, nibbled on his collarbone and settled to suck on his stiff nipple. Alfred's efforts were finally rewarded by a lengthy moan. His hand wandered over to grab onto Arthur's penis again to stroke the length. This time the needy whimper was unmistakable.

Alfred dared to thrust deeper and noticed that Arthur had started to rock his hips. He loved the queen's sensual movements, never wild but always pleasuring to the core. The rhythm of Arthur's thrusts to meet his was making their lust rise exponentially. It was hard to stop the noises from escaping their lips.

"Hold me," Arthur demanded and was promptly held in a tight embrace.

They moaned at the friction of their chests and nipples rubbing hotly against each other. Arthur's legs rose and bent around Alfred's hips and arse and he pushed Alfred deeper.

The queen moaned, tried to suppress it by biting his lips. He felt so full. Every time Alfred drove out and in again he experienced the sensation of being filled anew. His husband shifted and resumed his pounding. But this time he managed to make Arthur scream. There was no time to regret the loud noise as Arthur felt another rush of immense pleasure hit him and make his whole body shiver. Alfred knew that he'd found the sweet spot at last and wasted no time to abuse it with the force of his thrusting.

"There, there! Again! Oh love, there!" Arthur's hips rocked faster to meet Alfred's thrusts.

Arthur was squeezing Alfred's member and it felt so good, too good. They wouldn't be able to last any longer. The king pulled out almost completely, only the tip was still buried inside of his queen, and then he pushed in with all he had, rocking Arthur's body thoroughly. A series of fast thrusting followed and it was simply too much for Arthur to handle. He couldn't close his mouth to swallow and saliva ran down from the corners. With a long groan the queen released, his hips still moving in order to fully ride his climax out.

Alfred kept ramming himself into Arthur, making the one below him moan lowly. Even though he was already spent and exhausted he was still sensitive and felt the overwhelming sparks nonetheless. Alfred came with the name of his husband on his lips. Collapsing on top of Arthur, he tried to regain his normal breathing.

"You have to go back to your chambers," said Arthur.

"I know…but please let me stay with you for a while." Arthur nodded and brushed his fingers through Alfred's blonde locks.

* * *

><p>Initially, Arthur was determined to keep an unemotional façade when not being with Alfred in public. But, against his better judgement, he couldn't help the small droplets of temperament seep through his mask. Such as the one time a general had called him 'my Queen', an absolutely legal way to address him, though he brushed off said person with a spat.<p>

"Do I look like a bloody woman to you?" he had said.

The people around him were left startled by the uncharacteristic outburst. Alfred however was amused.

Although very busy with their duties as monarchs, they never abandoned their little habit of secret dates. Naturally, they had not as many opportunities as when they were still only princes, but they surely knew how to make use of their sparse free time.

Sometimes they would visit the Capital incognito, complete with costumes that were courtesy of Alfred's creativity—sometimes also called idiocy by a certain queen. They liked to secretly attend their people's festivals and sometimes Alfred was even able to persuade Arthur into joining him in a dance. Arthur, of course, found it difficult to adapt to the common people's carefree way of life. And openly enjoying himself was something he couldn't allow himself to do, and, to be honest, he wasn't sure if he was even able to do so.

It was the third day of the flower festival and many people were wearing colourful, flowery masks. And Arthur found it easier to relax if he was hidden behind his mask of green leaves and lilies of the valley. So today he agreed to sway around to the sound of merry music with Alfred, who was being a bundle of happiness and energy.

Those experiences of being among their people, to be talking and dining with them, watching them laugh, all of these were precious to both Alfred and Arthur, and they noticed a new kind of longing in their hearts.

If there were no festivals that they could visit, they reverted to their old hunting excuse. And that day Alfred invited Arthur to see their birthplace.

The Trees of Life were evergreens. No matter the season, the leaves were always flawlessly green with a fresh glow as if recently kissed by the morning dew. It was summer and the sacred birthplace of royalty was covered with partially yellowing grass. Nearby was the small winding river where a legendary woman once slept with a god. It was a secluded clearing where no one except high priests dared to set their foot on.

The new royal couple lay there, right where the legend was supposed to have taken place, and made love in the open.

Arthur moved his hips sensually, meeting Alfred's every thrust. His emeralds were half-lidded and peered at the man moving behind him whilst he was lying on his side. Somehow, having Alfred enter him from behind in a half-kneeling position made everything feel so much more intense and Arthur could lose himself in the pleasure. Not to be selfish, he reached behind to fondle and massage Alfred's balls.

It didn't take long until both of them reached their release and flopped inelegantly on the dry grass, their naked limbs still tangled in a spooning position. Arthur's breathing hadn't yet slowed down; he had his eyes closed and was sated from the amazing lovemaking. Gentle hands caressed his nape and shoulder blades. Arthur smiled once Alfred's lips touched his shoulder to plant one gentle kiss.

The young King of Spades was always like this. He always had to have his cuddling session after one round of sex, no matter how worn out he was. So Arthur let himself be pulled into a gentle embrace from behind and even snuggled himself closer, for Alfred's body felt really firm and warm, making him feel safe.

Arthur thought that this was just another romantic date. Though he didn't know how life changing that day was. And just like everything else that had changed his life before, the source of change was Alfred.

"Let's announce our love to the kingdom," said Alfred in a low whisper.

Arthur stopped breathing.

"What?"

"Let's make them know about us. About us being in love." Alfred's voice didn't waver and neither did his expression.

This time Arthur rolled his body to face his husband, just making sure if he really was serious. When he couldn't spot any traces of a joke on Alfred's expression his eyes widened.

"Alfred, we can't do that!"

"Why not? Aren't we humans, as well? Capable of loving each other?"

"Of course we are humans! But see Alfred…" Arthur had grabbed Alfred's wrist. "The both of us are an anomaly of the world."

"Why so?" Alfred's eyes were uncomprehending. "I see us naked now and we look the same as any other human. So why are we abnormal?"

"Because we're supposed to be perfect beings, not to be affected by imperfections such as affections or distaste. Kings, Queens and Jacks of Spades are effective in ruling a country without fail and there is no place for sentimentality. We are supposed to be perfect humans Alfred, free of every restriction that emotions bring. We do not love or hate and lose sight, we do not greed, and we do not grief."

"Free?" Alfred cocked an eyebrow. They both sat up. "Wherein lies the freedom of man?"

Blue eyes swayed to look at an eagle flying over their heads before focussing back on confused emeralds.

"The freedom of man," Alfred said, "does not lie in the ability to achieve anything out of one's own power. The freedom of man lies in the choice whereby and with whom you want to get involved with. And that man learns to understand that his capabilities will always be limited."

Alfred had taken Arthur's hands in his. The sky in his eyes was endless and full of love. Looking into his eyes, one was able to see a glimpse of how he saw freedom.

"A creature devoid of any emotion is not free."

"Alfred, it's not like Spades royals can't feel…" Arthur tried to bring back some sense to Alfred's head but he too was beginning to feel unsure about his own words.

"But that's usually the case, right? They grew up in an exclusive group of three and they felt nothing for each other. The consequence was that they never learnt to develop relationships with other people in the first place."

"That is true…" mumbled Arthur wearily. "But still, Spades is the strongest of all kingdoms, so it couldn't be too bad."

The younger of them both laughed and shot the other a look of disbelief. He definitely had Arthur all figured out, that he too realised how weak that argument was. "You're right, Alfred. Our strength is defined by our victories on the battlefield. One Royal Flush followed the other."

Alfred nodded eagerly. "Ruling a country requires us to be an actual part of the people. We have to be sensible towards their needs, anger, voices and struggles. And the first step is to be able to feel for your fellow royal family. A sense of brotherhood between King, Queen and Jack is crucial, Arthur. I think we are not an anomaly but, I don't know, evolution of our kind?" The last part was added with a playful wink.

The Queen pondered for a moment. "But the people need to accept our new self…need to accept that we've become like them."

Several issues were bound to be triggered if they were to reveal themselves to the people, like the fact that they would lose their special and mythological position, which had made it their birth right to become monarchs of Spades. And also…was their system ready for this?

To his surprise Alfred found himself in a tight embrace.

"Let's think about this some more, alright?" Arthur tried to appease Alfred and tried to prevent him from taking any rash actions. But he couldn't help but feel pride well up in him. "You know, I like to see your intelligent and inspirational side." His voice almost came out as a purr. Arthur leant forward to nibble on Alfred's lower lip. He eventually tilted his head to kiss him properly.

There was enough time to change the kingdom. Living out their passion for each other was their priority for the time being.

Or so they thought.

They were violently forced apart by the sound of dried twigs breaking on the ground and a voice calling out to them. Completely shocked they snapped their heads to see the person who had intruded their moment. Arthur reacted quickly and grabbed the bow and arrow that had been kept within reach. The arrow was nocked with one swift motion and Arthur drew his bow, ready to shoot. Green eyes narrowed, only to be snapped wide open in recognition.

"I knew it. You two are really together." Yao stepped out. The Jack's eyes were cold and his long black hair covered half of his face, so his actual expression was hard to make out. But one thing the couple was sure about – he didn't look forgiving.

It was then that they noticed their lack of clothing. Arthur and Alfred quickly grabbed their trousers to cover their privates.

"What…what are you doing here, Yao?" Alfred asked with a shaky voice. He had planned to make their relationship public, yes, but now he seemed so unprepared and wished for Yao to forget what he'd seen.

Yao shrugged, he had his arms crossed nonchalantly. "This is unacceptable. I would never have thought the trees would give birth to _failures._"

Something snapped within Alfred as those poisonous words reached his ear. He bolted up and was ready to punch the Jack in the face, if only Arthur hadn't pulled him back.

"Don't – don't you _ever_call us that!" Alfred's voice trembled and he looked ready to roar at Yao, who was still as emotionless as ever.

"You will have to face the consequences," the pale-faced man said and turned to leave, ignoring the King's angry shouts.

And they did suffer the consequences.

While the people and parliament were heatedly fighting over the appropriate measures to tackle this problem, Arthur and Alfred were for the time being retained in quarantine in their own separate chambers. Both were anxious in their respective living quarters and spent days of wandering about without heeding their servants any mind. Arthur and Alfred were worried sick about their status, their future, but above all they missed each other. Surely, it would have been more bearable to endure this catastrophe together in each other's safe arms.

Arthur even refused to take any meal most of the time; he preferred to restlessly wander the room up and down, also occasionally peeking out of the window. But the sight outside of the castle was chaos and only succeeded to fan his fear and unease. People were demonstrating and debating out there and most of the time they didn't really seem to know what to do. It was as if they were forced into a world unknown to them.

Of course they were panicked, Arthur thought with a bitter chuckle. They were indeed in a different world now, a different political world where the power of decision was in their hands. A world where the fate of their monarchs was dangling on a thin thread, which was spun by their solution.

The powerless Queen of Spades sighed and rested his forehead on the windowpane and thought about Alfred. Oh, how he missed him. Now more than ever.

Alfred too wasn't feeling any better. How would their people decide to react to this turn of events? Wasn't this what he wanted in the first place? True, but now he only felt scared. He wasn't prepared to be so…weak and without power. And now he had managed to jeopardize his beloved Arthur with his careless little dates. He could cry thinking about how everything was his fault.

The people of Spades were scandalised. Their perfect King and Queen were born flawed. With this dooming addition of 'sentimentality' the kingdom was bound to be driven to the edge that would eventually lead them into fatality. These overly emotional monarchs would be the death of the kingdom as they were just like them, merely humans. And humans crowned with power were bound to turn incompetent. They needed perfect rulers, not to be swayed by hatred or love.

But a pattern of questions arose no matter how long they ranted about this disaster. Who could be the judge over their Sovereigns? Did they have the power to do so? Would they anger their Creator? But surely the God of War would never let failures like them rule over his beloved country, right?

Parliament never adopted a resolution without the King's consent and now they suddenly had to be…independent. Suddenly, the people found themselves being forced into a state of maturity, responsibility and with the freedom of choice. To them, the idea of such power in the people's hand was thrilling but also frightening. Were their well-tried system and world view ready for such a change?

Some people noticed the comical side of this revolution that had been thrust to the Spadians. This whole fiasco and political identical crisis were the result of a busted amorous affair.

One day, in the middle of the turmoil, an unexpected royal mail arrived on the Lord Legislator's desk. It was a letter by the King of Hearts.

Nobody expected this turn of event, especially not something from the Kingdom of Hearts, which was the country of arts and humanities. Spadians liked to call Hearts the kingdom of airheads and weaklings.

Both Arthur and Alfred, upon hearing about the letter, were incredibly surprised and left confused. Why was the King of Hearts of all people intervening in Spades' political affairs?

Said letter contained only one line.

_Finally, they have become human at last. _

Five days later Arthur and Alfred were called over to the Constituent Assembly for a public hearing.

The quadratic building was plain and merely focused on its functionality rather than aesthetics and it housed only two rooms – an entrance hall and a large assembly hall where there were masses of people gathered behind the balusters. The large windows were left open to let the rest of the commoners have a look at the millennium event. Everything was so chaotic and loud, even more so when the King and Queen of Spades arrived at the threshold of the great hall. The crowd exploded in shouts, debates and questions. To both Alfred and Arthur's surprise, however, the people looked more curious than angered.

Some even recognised them as the strangers who had occasionally visited the festivals and taverns. They had danced and eaten with their royals!

Alfred and Arthur stalked the aisle with proud steps and composed expression, though they didn't appear stoic at all. No matter how dignified they presented themselves, there was no other way to describe their appearance other than 'romantic'.

They didn't appear unworldly. They were simply two individuals holding each other's hand tightly. At this the crowd's uproar died down and an eerie silence settled in the grand hall as they all observed the walking couple. The two finally reached the front of the council. Yao was among them looking out of place.

One particular grey-headed man with sunken eyes leant himself forward from his raised seat. "Well? What do Your Majesties have to say in their defence?" He asked the royal couple.

"Defence?" Arthur sneered. "Are we treated like criminals now? Your own King and Queen, who are lawfully married?"

He felt Alfred squeeze his hand tighter. Looking to his side he could see him shooting a sad smile. Arthur didn't want to see that sad expression on Alfred.

"How are you both different?"

This time it was Alfred who answered and he still had a sad smile on his face. His voice was soft but perfectly audible. "We're merely in love, my Lord."

The council was silent—nobody really knew what to say against such a simple answer.

"We will not treat you as criminals," said Yao, who had finally broken his silence. His expression looked stoic but he spoke slowly, which was unusual for him, who usually had an unstoppable word flow. And were his fingers trembling? "But we will have to strip you from your power as the kingdom's Sovereigns."

A murmur broke out among the audience. This was the first time ever in history such a thing had happened. Somehow, most of them had the underlying understanding that this was a scene of tragedy.

Alfred looked up with his brilliant blue eyes and Arthur noted how that man was in no need of any crown or jewelleries in order to shine. Yao's gaze met Alfred's.

"Yao…are you our friend?"

The Jack frowned and pulled his now even more trembling hands on his lap hidden behind the desk. "I-I…I do not have such sentiments. It is, unlike you, not in my nature to feel something like that."

A Spades royalty never stumbled over his own words. But Yao did.

"Yao, what is your purpose as a Jack?" Alfred kept pressing.

"To rule this country without fail, of course." These questions were starting to visibly unnerve the Jack.

"That is our purpose as well!" Alfred exclaimed and he stepped further forward taking Arthur with him, their hands still linked. "We want to rule this kingdom with our best effort!"

"But you can't. You are emotionally unstable. You-you are too human!" Yao's face was contorted in a pained grimace, another unusual sight. He looked like he was ready to jump up and fight.

"What is wrong with that? Aren't we governing a country of men?"

"Idiot!" The crowd gasped at Yao's outburst. "You are bound to fail, for you will be led by your emotions! You are limited!"

Alfred was now standing directly in front of Yao, both were staring with wide eyes. Arthur followed the heated debate with a weird sense of fascination.

"Could it be…" whispered Arthur to himself.

"I am aware of that! And it is good that I am aware of my limited capabilities because now I can be a ruler with ears perked up for my people's voices, eyes open for their suffering and happiness, and heart sympathising with them!"

Yao bolted up, now completely losing his calm. "This- this is ridiculous!"

"How can a soulless machine rule a country?" That was enough to leave Yao struck dumb and Alfred took this opportunity to once again attack the Jack with his argument. "How can machine men differentiate between what is well and wrong for an ever-changing and unpredictable nation? And wouldn't a group of people eventually become machine-like as well if they let themselves be ruled by a machine king? That would make this kingdom of Spades a totalitarian monarchy, one that is consented by its very own people!"

Those words struck deep in the hearts of every man in the hall. And Arthur felt the urge to kiss Alfred senseless, then and there.

Yao struggled for words. And this was when Arthur stepped in, gently sliding Alfred to the side. With a calm voice he asked, "how do you want to rule the nation, Yao?"

Arthur was a good observer. He had noticed the troubled looks the frail Jack sometimes had after several conferences with the generals and lords. Yao, too, was like them.

"I…I…"

"Say it to us, Yao." Arthur never lost eye contact with his long-time companion.

"I…damnit!" Yao squeezed his eyes tightly shut and sputtered his answer like a stream of bottled up emotions. "I think our military is led by a bunch of brainless barbarians! I think trading of goods and cultivation of our resources are far more beneficial than wars where we would only lose our state's money! We could learn about these things from the mercenary Diamonds and agricultural Clubs…and-and perhaps we could even surpass them! I think we should be a kingdom of progress rather than one of brutality…" The Jack panted. He looked and felt as if he had just run a marathon. But his heart felt pleasantly light.

Arthur however grinned. The rest couldn't believe the scene that had just played out.

At that very moment the massive door at the end of the hall was opened. All heads were turned to see the person who had dared to interrupt the historical showdown, and were baffled to see the King of Hearts standing there, clad in all red and holding his sceptre with self-confidence. To his right side was his Queen, an oriental looking man who had covered half of his face with the long sleeve of his richly ornamented red kimono. To the King's left was their Jack, a bubbly looking young man who was directly staring at Arthur and Alfred with friendly eyes. He also seemed to be singing.

"What is the meaning of this?" protested one of the parliamentary members.

"I am Ludwig, the King of Hearts and hereby I officially announce my support towards the King and Queen of Spades. I do not condone any violation of a human being's right in such an outrageous form…and that to your very own royalty! Also, if any of the Jack of Spades' words were true, then I have been charged to deliver following message: the kingdoms of Diamonds and Clubs are willing to open up trade and exchange with Spades under the condition of an ethically acceptable competition."

And truly, they could see flashes of golden and green fabrics behind King Ludwig. Could it be that the other royals were present as well?

A long period of silence was followed by a loud roar of cheering. The crowd chanted the names of their King and Queen, and even the council had small smiles on their weary faces. "The issue of homosexuality will be discussed at another point of time," mumbled one of them with an eye-roll.

Arthur threw himself in Alfred's waiting arms and kissed him senseless. He had wanted to do that so badly and the fact that they hadn't seen each other for days was more of a reason for them to fall into passionate kisses and caresses.

Spades was ready for a new start as a nation with a new face. This reformation was going to take a long time but the new age of peace made it easier for them to be progressive.

Their King and Queen were now openly together and did not shy away from showing their affection in public but one thing they never abandoned—their secret dates.

No matter how they savoured their people's acceptance towards their relationship, they couldn't stop treasuring their alone time, the sacred moments of privacy out there in the woods, in the gardens or in their now shared chambers. Sometimes, probably out of habit or playful childishness, they would sneak out of the castle, escaping their duties for a few hours to have a little private time.

Once again Arthur was cradled in Alfred's strong hands and their lips were moving together. Alfred sighed into the kiss and savoured the taste of his queen. Their kisses tasted of freedom. And both would always have this sensation of soaring in the sky.

Arthur was lying on the grass whilst Alfred was undressing him. His eyes were directed at the rosy afternoon sky and he seemed to be lost in nostalgia.

"When I was young and you even younger you gave me a red rose. That rose changed my world and I fell in love. Our love changed this nation."

Alfred looked at his beloved with tender eyes. "We were meant to change the world."

"No, we were meant to fall in love with each other," Arthur whispered. He lightly kissed Alfred's forehead. "The love that dared not speak its name has broken free and is now flying over the people's hearts, ready to shape a new world. We were never unnatural. We have only unleashed a power never seen before. One that is ungraspable but felt in the whole world."

End.

**A/N:** Lol I said End.  
>Anyways, I hope you guys liked this sappy trainwreck XD...though I enjoyed writing it ._.<br>"The love that dare not speak its name" is a phrase from Lord Alfred Douglas' poem "Two Loves" and was generally known as a euphemism for homosexuality. In this fanfic's context it's used for the general expression of a 'forbidden love'. Also...Oscar Wilde is fabulous.  
>The history of creation was inspired by Genesis in the bible and the Babylonian creation myth <em>Enûma Eliš<em>.  
>The <span>National Constituent Assembly<span> is inspired by the historical _Assemblée nationale constituante._


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